UMass Chan Early Independence Fellows Program

Program description: The goal of the UMass Chan Early Independence Fellows Program is to recruit clusters of exceptionally talented junior scientists with the potential to become independent investigators at UMass Chan Medical School, and to provide them with career development, mentoring, and financial support to foster their scientific excellence and leadership. In recognition of diversity as a driver of innovation and scientific impact, we are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive environment with talented individuals from all backgrounds, including backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine and the biomedical sciences, who embrace diversity, equity and inclusion in line with our institutional goals (IMPACT 2025). Candidate evaluations will consider the unique scientific contributions of the candidate as well as leadership and resilience qualities the candidate brings to the program.

Successful applicants will be brought on as a part of an interdisciplinary cohort. Fellows will join one of two tracks: The Maraganore Early Independence Fellows track or the Chan Early Independence Fellows track. The Maraganore Early Independence Fellows track will support one fellow who will develop an independent research program in the areas of RNA biology or RNA therapeutics. The Chan Early Independence Fellows track will support two fellows who will develop an independent research program that broadly aligns with any area of excellence at UMass Chan.

Eligibility: Individuals possessing a PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or other doctoral degree, from a wide variety of backgrounds, including, but not restricted to, individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce at the faculty level, and who (at the time of application) are within 24 months post completion of their terminal degree, are eligible to apply. Please note that MD-only applicants are eligible only for the Chan Early Independence Fellows track.

Academic appointment: Initial appointment will be at the level of Assistant Professor (non-tenure track). Fellows will be affiliated with UMass Chan academic departments and centers that align with their proposed research directions.

Financial support: The program will provide financial support for an initial period of three years, with the potential to extend to five years. Annual support of approximately $440,000 will be provided to each fellow. This includes salary, research support (personnel, equipment, supplies), and travel. An additional childcare supplement (up to $10,000) will be provided to fellows with dependent children.

Career development support: Fellows will be supported by a team of mentors comprised of established research faculty that will monitor the fellows research progress and support their career development. One faculty member with closely aligned research expertise will serve as the primary mentor. At least one member of the mentoring team will be from outside the department within which the fellow is appointed. In addition, Fellows will participate in a career advancement program that will empower their scientific and professional development, provide writing support, and facilitate their social and cultural integration into our larger UMass Chan scientific community. Fellows will also be expected to participate in career development activities provided through the Investigator Career Advancement Program (iCAP) that support their maturation as independent investigators and team leaders.

Expectations: Fellows will develop an independent research program, recruit, and mentor post-doctoral associates, and co-mentor PhD students with tenured or tenure-track faculty. Fellows may apply for additional extramural support alone or in collaboration with tenure-track faculty.

Environment: With a strong culture of collegiality that transcends departmental and disciplinary boundaries, UMass Chan is an engaging community that embraces the exponential power of team science, transdisciplinary research, interaction and collaboration, and innovation.

UMass Chan is a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. In 2023, UMass Chan ranked 37th in the National Institutes of Health Blue Ridge rankings among all 144 United States medical schools. These rankings place our school 2nd in New England and 17 among all public medical schools in the U.S. UMass Chan also is routinely ranked by the magazine U.S. News & World Report in the top 10 percent of the nation’s medical schools and schools of osteopathic medicine for its excellence in primary care education. UMass Chan has outstanding core facilities, including Bioinformatics, Advanced MRI, CryoEM, Electron Microscopy, Large Scale AAV Manufacturing, Tissue Repository, Deep Sequencing, Advanced Quantitative Imaging, Flow Cytometry, Transgenic animal modeling core, Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) and Mass Spectrometry core facilities. Our research programs are central to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative. UMass Chan Medical School is one of five campuses in the UMASS system and there are extensive inter-campus collaborations with the Amherst, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Boston campuses, and with our surrounding communities.

Worcester, MA: UMass Chan is located in the heart of New England, in Worcester, MA. The second largest city in New England, Worcester is rich in history and cultural diversity and provides a myriad of social, cultural and recreational amenities. Our region offers a broad range of excellent primary and secondary schools, as well as several highly regarded colleges including Clark University, The College of the Holy Cross, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The area boasts numerous restaurants, theater groups and concert venues, and a variety of affordable housing options from newly renovated condominiums to gracious Victorian homes. Worcester’s central location provides easy access to the major travel hubs of Boston and Providence, as well as a large variety of opportunities for outdoor activities including beaches, lakes, farms, and mountains. The newly constructed Polar Park is home to the Woo Sox, the minor league AAA partner to the Red Sox in Boston, supporting a revitalization of the city that has resulted in new jobs, breweries, restaurants, and rapid growth in real estate.

Application and evaluation process: The deadline to submit applications is December 1st, 2024. Inquiries, but not application materials, may be directed to Natasja Hirabayashi at natasja.hirabayashi@umassmed.edu for the Chan Early Independence Fellows track or Dr. Angela Messmer Blust at angela.messmerblust@umassmed.edu for the Maraganore Early Independence Fellows track.